Battle Realms demo

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET Staff

This innovative but dated real-time strategy game from Ubisoft puts a martial-arts twist on the usual fantasy/sci-fi theme. Released in 2001, Battle Realms quickly won a reputation as one of the most complex and sophisticated RTS games ever released. For the time, it also had impressive graphics, especially in the combat sequences. Battling units perform a wide variety of fighting moves, which, unfortunately, are out of your control. You simply issue movement and attack orders, and the AI chooses when to use units' special abilities. This tends to make combat very difficult. As for gathering and spending, you'll need to master a tricky rice-based economy. You create fighting units by converting peasants to warriors and running the warriors through other buildings, such as dojos and alchemist huts, to produce various upgrades. Rally points help automate the process. It's all pretty complicated, but the game's loyal user community can provide help if you need it. A few die-hards are still hanging in there, and who can blame them? Battle Realms' samurai swords haven't lost their edge.

Publisher's description

From Crave Entertainment :

Battle Realms is set in a story-driven fantasy world that centers around the legends and myths of the martial arts, Feudal Japan, and horror stories. The game world is comprised of several strange and legendary factions including samurai, werewolves, ninjas, and geisha warriors. Players will guide the fate of Kenji, heir to the fallen Serpent Empire. Kenji returns to his homeland after a seven-year exile, and must now make a choice whether to subjugate or liberate the feuding land. Standing against him are the untamed Wolf Clan and the malignant Lotus Clan. In addition, the game is set in a world that features a living resource system . How a player manages resources has a direct impact on remaining tactical decisions in the game. The game also features a combat system that uses combat engagement AI. This AI supposedly allows units to react intelligently to terrain, opponent ability and distance in combat situations. In addition some units have the ability to use secondary weapons.

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